Key case pivot



Aug. 6, 19.40.. N. H. swANs'oN ,KEY CASE PIVOT Original File'dAug. 3l,1956 Patented Aug. 6,1940

PATENT OFFICE KEY CASE PIVOT Nels H. Swanson, Chicago, Ill.

Original application August 31, 1936, Serial No.

98,726. Divided and this application December 15, 1938, Serial No.245,929

Claims.

This invention relates to a pivot of adjustable length, and for purposesof illustration, it is herein shown as employed in a key case forsecuring the keys to the case- The invention consists of certainfeatures and elements of construction in combination, as herein shownand described and as indicated by the claims.

This application is a division of my pending application Serial No.98,726, flied August 31, 1936. lo In the drawing:

, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a key case embodying this invention.

Figure 21s a detail section taken axially through the keyholding pivotand showing the latter at one limit of adjustment.

Figure 3 is a disassembled View of the pivot parts showing the sleeveelement in section.

lFigure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2, but showing the pivotat a different position of adjustment.

Figure 5 is a detail section similar to Figure 2, but showing a modifiedform` of pivot.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Figure ,5,adjusted to a diil'erent position.

Figure '7 is a sectional view of thev key case including anothermodified form of key-holding pivot associated therewith.

In order to illustrate the application and utility of the adjustablepivot, which is the subject of this invention, I have shown it embodiedin a key case which, in this instance, happens to be associated with asmall pocket flashlight. 'Ihe key case comprises two side walls I, Ipreferably of flexible sheet material, such as leather, connected by ashorter transverse portion 2 which is shown secured against the outersurface of the flashlight shell 3. Figure 1 shows the keys A heldbetween the two side walls I, I of the case on a pivot member 4 and itwill be understood that when the keys are swung into position betweenthe Walls, as indicated in dotted outline in Figure 1, these walls willbe connectedby a snap fastener button 5 for retaining the keys until oneof them is wanted for use. One form of pivot is illustrated in Figures2, 3 and 4, as consisting of a threaded sleeve Ii, a screw l, and ascrew 8. The sleeve is counterbored for a portion of its length from oneend, as seen at 9, and the screw 8 is threaded only for a portion of itslength, leaving an unthreaded shank I 0 of approximately the same lengthas the counterbore 9 in the sleeve. The other screw, 1-

is threaded through its entire length up to the head, and the totallength of the sleeve is equal to or greater than the sum of the lengthsof the screws, exclusive of their heads. Thus the parts may beassembled, as shown in Figure 2, with the screw 1 inserted in thethreaded end of the sleeve as far as it will go, and with the screw 8inserted into the counterbored end of the sleeve. The 5 heads of thescrews will bear tightly against the ends of the sleeve 6 forsecurelyholding the parts, and the distance between the heads of the screws willaccommodate a limited number of keys, three keys being indicated insection at A in Figure 2.

If a longer pivot is desired,the screws 1 andmay be removed from thesleeve and re-inserted respectively into the opposite ends of thesleeve, as seen in Figure 4, Then the unthreaded shank I0 of the screw 8will extend from the threaded end 15 of the sleeve while the screw 'Iwill be inserted for its full length, as before, engaging with thethreadsv beyond' the counterbore 9. Thus the length of the smooth shankI0 is added to the length of the sleeve for accommodating more keys 20 Abetween the heads of the screws, five keys being shown in Figure 1i.`

Another adjustable form of pivot is seen in Figures 5 and 6, in whichone screw I I is provided with a hollow shank I2 bored from end to endand 25 threaded inwardly from the head at I3. I'he innermost end of thehollow shank is counterbored at I4, and the other screw I 5 has athreaded portion I6 and an unthreaded shank portion I1, the latter beingoi' approximately the same length as 30 the counterbore Il. Thus for aminimum capacity the screw I5 will be inserted into the hollow shank I2-up to its head, as seen in Figure 5, but to increase the distancebetween the heads the screw I5 may be backed out to the extent of 36 itsunthreaded shank I1 which will thus serve as a portion of the pivotengaging the keys A, as seen in Figure 6. In either case a smallheadless set screvir I8 may be inserted from the head end of the screwII so as to impinge against the end of 4o the screw I5 within thethreaded portion I3 of the screw I I-acting in the same manner as a jambnut to lock the screws in any adjusted relation.

A third modification of the pivot is shown in Figure '7 in which thescrews I 9 and 20 may be 45 understood as being similar respectively tothe screws 1 and 8 already described, but in which the threaded sleeveis replaced by a tightly coiled wire cylinder 2 I. Through most of itslength the cylinder is coiled to nt the threads of the screws 50 I8 and20, but at one end the coils are made larger, as seen at 22, so as toform an enlarged portion, the yequivalent of. a counterbore, looselyengageable with the threads or with the unthreaded shank of the screw20. Thus the screws 55 II and 20 maybe assembled with the coil, as shownin Figure 7, to aiIord a minimum space for keys between their heads, orthey may be transposed so that the unthreaded shank of the screw 20 willproject from the closely coiled portion of the wire 2|, to elongate thepivot and provide greater capacity for keys. Since the wire coil mayhave a tendency to clutch the threads of the screws when they areunscrewed therefrom, I provide a tail-piece 23 at the end of the coil,extending therefrom to lie flatly against one of the walls I of the keycase. By means of this tail-piece the coil may be held against rotationto facilitate removal of the screws when desired. i

I claim:

1. A pivot comprising two headed screws, one threaded up to its head,and the other having an unthreaded portion adjacent its head, togetherwith a sleeve formed by a coiled wire, a portion of the length of saidsleeve being coiled to t the threads of either screw, and one endportion being coiled to form a larger cylinder adapted to fit over themthreaded portion of the said screw when the latter is inserted in thatend of the coil, said portion of the screw being too large to enter theother end of the coil when the screws are transposed.

2. A pivot comprising a threaded sleeve counterbored from one end, aheaded screw threaded to its head and engageable with the threads ofsaid sleeve from either end, and a second headed screw having anunthreaded portion adjacent its head adapted to enter thecounterbore ofthe sleeve when said screw is engaged in that end of the sleeve but toolarge to enter the other end of the sleeve when the screws aretransposed to lengthen the pivot.

3. A pivot comprising a sleeve having a. bore enlarged adjacent one end,a headed member having a shank inter-engageable with the sleeve fromeither end and a second headed member having a shank alsointer-engageable with the sleeve from either end and formed with aportion adjacent its head dimensioned to enter the enlarged bore of thesleeve when said member is engaged in that end of the sleeve but toolarge to enter the other end of the sleeve when said headed members aretransposed.

4. A pivot comprising a pair of headed threadedmembers and a connectorthreaded for engagement therewith but having an .unthreaded portionadjacent one end, one of the headed members having threads extending toits head and the other headed member having an unthreaded portionadjacent its head adapted to telescope with the unthreaded portion ofthe connector but serving to limit the extent of the interlappingengagement of said headed member with the other end of the connectorwhen the headed members are transposed thereon.

5. A pivot comprising a pair of headed, threaded members and a connectorthreaded for engagement therewith but having an unthreaded portionadjacent one end, one of the headed members having only a part of itslength threaded and having an unthreaded portion adjacent its headdimensioned to telescope with the unthreaded part of the connector butincapable of telescoping with the threaded portion thereof, the otherthreaded member having a longer portion threaded and dimensioned totelescope with either the threaded or the unthreaded portion of theconnector.

NELS H. SWANSON.

